Expensive jewellery and watches were obtained by fraudsters targeting some of the best-known auction houses including Bonhams and Christie's, a court heard today.

Credit card details stolen from people in Canada and the US were used by fraudsters who then registered with auction houses as telephone bidders giving false names, Isleworth Crown Court in north-west London was told.

The items they successfully bid for were collected by Jabey Bathurst 24, giving a false name, who acted as a courier, sometimes with Mr Dougui, it was alleged.

The court was told that 61-year-old Barbara Goossens, another defendant, ran a jewellery shop and had an "extensive knowledge" of fine jewellery and expensive watches and the expertise to spot good items and what would sell.

"This is a case about a very modern way of stealing because it requires nothing more than the details of credit cards and often a convincing manner," Mr Shellard said.

"The victims in this case are some of the country's best known auction houses, provincial auction houses and also some little known jewellery shops.

"But when it comes to the victims of these crimes, the defendants were not overly concerned who they targeted as long as they had items of high value they could easily dispose of without getting caught."

He added: "How the fraud was perpetrated was in fact, the prosecution say, remarkably easy as long as you had the right connections to obtain the credit card details in the first place and the knowledge of how the system worked and the gall really to carry out the deceptions."